Weekend picks: Ready for the new year?
Shoot and score
Expect plenty of comedy antics when the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters bring their entertaining brand of basketball for two games today to the Allstate Arena, 6920 N. Mannheim Road, Rosemont. $20-$170. (800) 745-3000 or allstatearena.com. 2 and 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 30
Winter Wonderland
The Cuneo Museum and Gardens in Vernon Hills hosts its annual “Winter Wonderland Holiday Light Show.” Drive through 97 acres of holiday scenic lights at the gardens, 1350 N. Milwaukee Ave., Vernon Hills. $10 per car. Visit vernonhills.org or cuneomansion.org. 6 to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday, Dec. 30 to Jan. 1
The night before on the dance floor
Make serious ballroom moves before the dance floor is besieged with end-of-the-year revelers at the Night Before New Year's Eve big band dance featuring music by the Flat Cats tonight at the Willowbrook Ballroom, 8900 S. Archer Ave., Willow Springs. $12. (708) 839-1000 or willowbrookballroom.com. 7:30 p.m. lesson; social dancing 8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 30
‘Lucky' New Year
Standup comedian and Zanies regular Dobie Maxwell, also known as Mr. Lucky, headlines this weekend at Zanies at Pheasant Run Resort, 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles. $30 for the early show, $40 for the late show, including party favors and a champagne toast. (630) 584-6342 or zanies.com. 8 and 9:45 p.m. Friday, Dec. 30 ($25), 8 and 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31
#8216;Post-Christmas Blues Fest'
Songwriter and musician Pete Norman stars in #8220;Pete Norman's Post-Christmas Blues Fest#8221; at the Two Way Street Coffee House, 1047 Curtiss St., Downers Grove. Norman and his musical guests present an evening of folk, blues and ragtime tunes featuring guitar, fiddle, banjo and more. (630) 969-9720 or twowaystreet.org. $7. 8:15 p.m. Friday, Dec. 30
So much Strauss
Baritone Mischa Bouvier is the special guest for the New Philharmonic's annual concert #8220;Viennese Pops New Year's Eve with an International Twist#8221; on Saturday at College of DuPage's McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. 4 p.m. show: $55; $53 seniors; $45 kids. 9 p.m. show: $65; $63 seniors; $55 kids. (630) 942-4000 or atthemac.org. 4 and 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31
Monk's free kids countdown
Kids party for free on New Year's Eve at the Lucky Monk, 105 Hollywood Blvd., South Barrington. They can celebrate with complimentary pizza and soda and a unique countdown at 5:59 p.m. Parents, stick around for live music by Triadd at 9:30 p.m. (847) 898-0500 or theluckymonk.com. 4 to 6 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 31
Vegas New Year
Get a sense of the glory days of Las Vegas lounge acts of the 1950s and '60s when Sandy Hackett's Rat Pack Show performs two special New Year's Eve shows Saturday at the Paramount Theatre, 8 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. $45. (630) 896-6666 or paramountaurora.com. 6 and 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31
Laugh it out
Comedians Corey Holcomb, Rickey Smiley and LaVelle Crawford are on the bill for the 9th Annual Greatest Night of Comedy, which plays two shows on Saturday at the Arie Crown Theater at McCormick Place, 2301 Lake Shore Drive, Chicago. $49.50-$99.50. (800) 745-3000 or ariecrown.com. 7 and 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31
Early ushering
Don't want to stay up too late on Saturday? Then don't miss #8220;The New Year's Comedy Show for People Who Can't Stay Up 'Til Midnight#8221; featuring comedians Rocky LaPorte, Tim Clue and Spike Manton with music by the Sons of the Never Wrong and more at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin. $25-$45. (847) 931-5900 or hemmens.org. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31
NYE cabaret
Hollis Resnik headlines a New Year's Eve cabaret at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Accompanying Resnik is the multiple Jeff Award-winning music director Doug Peck. $75 tickets include a champagne toast and dessert. (773) 327-5252 or stage773.com. 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31
Rock with an accent
One of the multitude of New Year's Eve shows happening this weekend features two tribute bands that bring to life the titans of the British Invasion. American English will perform songs of The Beatles, while Hot Rocks tackles the music of The Rolling Stones at Viper Alley, 275 Parkway Drive, Lincolnshire. $20 for general admission/standing room tickets; viper-alley.com. Reserved seating is sold out, there were still some standing-room tickets available at press time. 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31
Alt-country new year
The Old 97s emerged from Dallas in the early 1990s and became one of the leaders of the #8220;alternative country#8221; movement that exploded mid-decade. The band will bring its energetic live attack to the annual New Year's Eve Rock 'N' Roll Ball at the Montrose Room, located inside the InterContinental Chicago O'Hare hotel, 5300 N. River Road, Rosemont. Tickets start at $75; montroseroom.com. 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31
#8216;History of Toy Trains V'
The Highland Park Historical Society, 326 Central Ave., Highland Park, hosts the fifth installment of its #8220;History of Toy Trains#8221; exhibit. The exhibit showcases American Flyer and Lionel Standard Gauge trains, built between 1910 and 1935. See more than 100 standard gauge trains, passenger cars, freight cars, buildings and accessories. Youngsters can take part in interactive activities and push buttons and activate operational cars. $5 per person (family passes are $12). (847) 432-7090 or highlandparkhistory.com. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 1
Zoo Year's Eve 2012
Brookfield Zoo, at First Avenue and 31st Street, Brookfield, welcomes 2012 a bit early with its #8220;Zoo Year's Eve 2012#8221; celebration. Guests can take part in arts and crafts, #8220;Play Zoo#8221; parades, music, games and projects. An early countdown to the new year begins at 8 p.m. in the Holly Jolly Theater and Hamill Family Play Zoo. General zoo admission is $9.50-$13.50. Children ages 2 and younger admitted free. Parking is $9 for cars; $12 for buses. (708) 688-8000 or czs.org. 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31
#8216;Irving Berlin's White Christmas'
See #8220;Irving Berlin's White Christmas,#8221; a stage musical adaptation of the classic 1954 Bing Crosby film with songs from Irving Berlin, at the Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. $40-$48 (tax and handling fees extra). Dinner packages available. (847) 634-0200 or marriotttheatre.com. 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 1
Prince tribute
Hear the hits of legendary performer Prince as #8220;Tributosaurus becomes Prince#8221; for an evening of classic rock at FitzGerald's, 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berwyn. $40. (708) 788-2118 or fitzgeraldsnightclub.com. 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 1